Losses. Today, for many, the name Rocky conjures up memories of the Sylvester Stallone movies. PSA CardFacts welcomes the input of knowledgeable collectors and dealers to help improve the PSA CardFacts Condition Census listings. Suddenly, Zale, who thought he had broken his right thumb in the fourth round, unleashed a vicious right to the solar plexus that paralyzed Graziano. Flash back to the forties and early fifties, some three decades before these movies' release, and we find the original Rocky. He began his amateur boxing career fighting under the names Joe Giuliani and Robert Barber, but continued to have run-ins with the authorities and the military, the latter of which occurred when he went AWOL after punching a superior officer. Draws. 62.7%. He was tough, could hit like a mule and had all the guts in the world. Jeffrey Sussman is the author of “Rocky Graziano: Fists, Fame, and Fortune,” among other books about boxers and boxing. The PSA CardFacts Condition Census lists the ten finest PSA-graded examples of a particular card. The rubber match, on June 10, 1948 at Roosevelt Stadium in Newark, N. J., had little of the drama of the previous two fights. His career took off in 1945 when he knocked out top-rated middleweight Billy Arnold in the third round after being whipped over the first two. Need Help? Born Rocco Barbella on the Lower East Side of New York on Jan. 1, 1919, Rocky was the son of a third-rate former boxer named Fighting Nick Bob, who worked as a longshoreman. Division: Middleweight; Trainers: Whitey Bimstein, Al Silvani; Managers: Irving Cohen, Jack Hurle; Rocky Graziano Gallery But again Graziano showed the heart that made him a crowd favorite as he rallied in the fifth round, taking some of the starch out of Zale. Zale had spent the last four years in the service and his title had been frozen during that time. Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) & PSA/DNA are divisions of Collectors Universe, Inc. Get free collecting news from leading hobby professionals, in-depth articles, breaking news, insightful videos & more! In September 1946, standing Middleweight Champion Zale endured a brutal beating from Graziano, but was eventually victorious with a six round knock out. Rocky Graziano Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Rocky Graziano was born on January 1, 1919 in New York City, New York, USA as Thomas Rocco Barbella. Thank you for reading . When cards are grouped in this way, the total number of cards per position will be shown in parentheses after the PSA grade. Graziano, though, was allowed to fight in other states and on July 16, 1947, he had his rematch with Zale in Chicago Stadium. By default, each of the ten finest cards will be shown on a single line in the Condition Census grid. Rocky I tells the tale of a fighter that rises from obscurity to fight a seemingly invincible champion.